Jackson wasn’t officially credited for the role, with the name John Jay Smith offered in place of the singer’s actual name in the credits. While he performed Kompowsky’s speaking parts, Jackson turned down the opportunity to perform the song he wrote for the episode, ‘Happy Birthday Lisa’, with a sound-alike (Kipp Lennon) filling in to sing the vocal parts instead.

Groening has spoken about Jackson’s cameo on The Simpsons in a new interview with The Weekly With Charlie Pickering, putting any lingering doubts about Jackson’s part on the show to bed by saying “we really did have him”, and adding that it was Jackson himself who asked for a guest role.

“He didn’t want credit for – or there was some kind of deal with his record company or whatever – so when it came time to sing the songs, he had a sound-a-like singer,” he said. “He stood there and watched the guy, who was so nervous who had to sound like Michael Jackson, and then he giggled.”